Remodeling Your Dallas Kitchen? Make it Work for You

The kitchen is, in many respects, the heart of the home. As we trudge through the rest of winter’s chill, it’s easy to find comfort in the joy of using this space to entertain and demonstrate love for family, friends, and guests. The well-designed kitchen is never short on beautiful design elements, but they also should be thought-out to accommodate for function, from prep to cooking to cleanup.

Carefully thought out and structured storage is often the key element to a functional kitchen; a professionally designed cabinet a drawer plan will set a homeowner up for optimum organization and function. Nothing makes the home-cook happy like a space that’s streamlined with easy viewing. Whether your space allows for a pantry or you’re sticking with Lazy Susan cabinets and deep drawers, food items should be placed with like and kind, and labels are best pointed out for easy viewing. At Hatfield (now Alair Homes- Plano), we love turning under-utilized space into clear and functional, usable cabinets that will be enjoyed daily. Consider building a spice rack into your cabinet layout, as easy access to these treasures can render your meals infinitely more flavorful – who wants to dig around looking for that jar of thyme?

Even before storage though, it’s important to brainstorm the perfect work triangle. for your kitchen The triangle is an imaginary straight line drawn from the center of the sink to the center of the refrigerator and back to the sink. This logical space promotes easy access to the key items you’ll be using as you create and clean up meals for your family.

A solid prep space is also essential – you’ll want to make sure that cutting boards, measuring cups, and other prep items are located nearby. Some kitchens benefit from built-in tools or features, think butcher block or storage extra. Many of our clients opt for a pullout trash cabinet which has multiple benefits including the obvious – not having to see the trash! A built-in wine cooler or microwave drawer are other unique options to include. It’s all about stashing the essentials to make your kitchen work for you, while upholding a streamlined and open look.

An open countertop space featuring a large slab of gorgeous natural stone keeps the aesthetic clean and simple and lends to lots of prep room. When prepping food, consider keeping a plastic bag inside of the sink on one end for dumping any items that don’t go in the garbage disposal. Rather than having to scoop and clean when your food goes in the oven, your trash will be pre-assembled and you can just knot the bag and dump into in the can. Done!

And let’s talk appliances – even if your budget only allows one or two top-rate appliances, a good range is the way to go. We recommend Thermador or Kitchen Aid for their efficiency, style, and cooking capabilities. A bonus with these brands is that they aren’t excessively harsh on your wallet. When planning your kitchen remodel, don’t think only of what looks pretty but also what works. You’ll probably be surprised to find that appliances from these awesome brands bring you both the looks and the function you seek.